Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham is attracting interest from clubs in England and across Europe, including Serie A side Lazio, according to reports.
The brother of Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham had an excellent debut season for the Black Cats last term despite it being quite a turbulent campaign for the club. The 18-year-old scored seven goals and recorded one assist for the Wearside outfit following his £3 million move from Birmingham City 12 months ago.
Nevertheless, his impressive displays at the Stadium of Light have piqued the interest of several suitors this summer. It was reported last month that newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton were keen to bring him to the St. Mary’s Stadium in a double swoop of Sunderland alongside winger Jack Clarke. The duo are priced at a combined fee of around £40 million, although it was believed that the Saints were far away from this valuation, hence these rumours have gone cold.
Italian giants Lazio have also been keeping tabs on Bellingham’s displays on Wearside over the past few months and it was believed that the Rome-based club would make a move for him before the transfer window ends next month.
However, the Biancocelesti were side-tracked by an attempt to bring Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to the Stadio Olimpico, a pursuit which proved unsuccessful as the attacker has joined Ligue 1 side Marseille. As a result, Lazio were reported to have reignited their interest in Bellingham as an alternative to Greenwood but any potential deal may have hit a snag.
Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, via Chronicle Live, have revealed that Lazio are currently unable to match Sunderland’s asking price as the latter are looking for a fee larger than the Serie A club’s budget. Additionally, the publication have said that Lazio will need to sell more players before being able to afford to acquire Bellingham’s services.
Writer’s View
Lazio have already spent quite a lot of money this summer, having finished seventh in the previous campaign in Italy’s top-flight. The club have brought in former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi on a permanent deal as well as Loum Tchaouna and Tijjani Noslin for substantial fees.
Furthermore, it was recently reported by The Guardian that Sunderland want £20 million in order to sell Bellingham over the coming weeks. Given Lazio’s current financial situation, the club likely won’t be able to complete a deal for the young midfielder unless they offload some first-team players or the Black Cats reduce their asking price first.
